Part of the excitement and tragedy of living overseas and meeting so many new people is that as often as they come and go, some of them you will never get to see again. When I was living in China, I had the privilege to meet a 'Jack Sparrow' look-alike. He would make frequent trips to Xiamen for business and always made the most of his time while there. He was only a rumor to me for the first year I was there and by the second year, I got to meet him in person, and I'm so glad I did. For the remaining year and a half, whenever he was in Xiamen, he made it a point to spend plenty of time with his 'China daughters'. When we found out he had advanced cancer about 7 months ago, we were all shocked and prayed all the more for his healing. Yesterday, he won his battle and passed over the finish line into glory.
Here are just a few words I wish I had gotten to say to him.
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Dear Ferd,
Some say you lost your battle with cancer, but I think you just finished your task early and got your prize earlier than expected. I'm sure sad that I'll not see you again on this earth, that's not at all how I'd planned it or hoped for, but I guess Daddy thought now was a better time than ever to welcome you home.
I have a few things I want to say to you though.
I want to say thank you for showing me that there are good men in the world who love the Lord and care about us single people. Thank you for reminding me that I can trust people. :) Thank you for being the change in the time and place you had been given. I hope I can do that with the same gusto you did it with. Your reputation surely preceded you and I was privileged to get to meet you.
I remember how you were the first person I told that I was moving to Germany and how excited you got for me and how much you gushed about Germany and German men, and how I should marry a good German boy- a Christian one. Maybe one of these days I'll get around to doing that, but as today is not that day, I'll just giggle about it with those who knew you best.
Thanks for bringing life and energy into every group you joined, and for the awkward lunches that you dragged other unsuspecting single men along to meet us girls in. I don't know anyone else who desired to see us girls in Xiamen marry good Christian men as much as you did. That meant a lot and reminded us all that we are special.
Thanks for proving that you're never to old to grow closer to the Lord and for wanting to bring anyone and everyone along with you as you did that. I wonder how many people you'll see up there as a result of your faithfulness- now what a reward that would be!
I'll miss you, friend. <3
